Why can't I compare coffee?

If you were a consumer, how would you compare the prices if none of the products were packaged in the same size container.

I was recently at my local grocery store and found coffee sold in the following size packages.

• 56 grams
• 56.7 grams
• 100 grams
• 150 grams
• 200 grams
• 225 grams
• 226 grams
• 250 grams
• 260 grams
• 275 grams
• 280 grams
• 292 grams
• 311 grams
• 312 grams
• 326 grams
• 340 grams
• 343 grams
• 400 grams
• 454 grams
• 500 grams
• 584 grams
• 737 grams
• 907 grams
• 910 grams
• 925 grams
• 930 grams
• 975 grams
• 1000 grams

Some of the packages size are conversion from imperial measures, 454 grams is one pound, 907 grams is two pounds etc. Some of the other odd measure are also conversions from ounces.

But as a consumer, the confusing proliferation of sizes make price comparison all but impossible.

At one time coffee in North America was sold in one pound packages, but those days seem long gone. So, there must be some logic behind the proliferation of sizes.

Like most things in the grocery store, the price of coffee has been creeping up recently. And one response to increasing prices is to decrease the size of the package. The retail price remains the same, but the consumer just gets a bit less. And if the change in package size is accompanied by a redesign, many manufacturers think that they can pull a fast one on the consumer.

Are consumers that unaware? Well lots of them must be, or they would rebel and manufacturers would not try such tactics.